With a little help from my friends
by NRGburst
Summary: At the threshold to adulthood, Chihiro starts bumping into old friends again... (Yuletide 2019, reunions)


It's happening again. She shouldn't have worn the hair tie.

Chihiro's noticed that when she wears it she often has an odd sense, like a niggling itch at the back of her mind, that there is something trying to get her attention in her peripheral vision.

And she'll turn and find nothing unusual. Just a weather beaten jizo statue or a hand-knit scarf on a mannequin in a shop; a strand of cut paper dolls taped on a child's window; a daruma doll with one eye blackened- a wish made but not yet fulfilled.

And she'll feel disappointed and bereft, although she doesn't know what she expected to see in the first place.

But she's coming-of-age this year, so her mother wanted her to do a professional photo shoot. And the sparkly purple tie might be years old, but she likes knowing it's keeping her hair in place under the pins.

She's amazed that it's held up despite the years- it's one of the few possessions she's kept from before the move, when they lived in Tokyo instead of way out in the suburbs.

But she'd been drawn to use it this morning, although her mother had tsked while doing her hair after carefully dressing her.

"I can't believe you still have that old thing! Don't we have those plastic bands? Those will blend in with your hair more nicely."

"Naw, don't bother- nobody will be looking closely at my hair, and it goes with the kimono anyway. The app says I should catch the first train to be there in time, mom."

She still can't believe she agreed to this. On her only sleep-in day.

"_Please, Chihiro! You only turn twenty once! When else will you really have a chance to wear furisode (long sleeved kimono)?"_

"_That's what you said for both 7-5-3 sessions," her father comments, not looking up from his newspaper, and her mother's brows knit together as she sends him a sideways look, words unneeded before she turns back to Chihiro, smiling reasonably. _

"_Well, think of this year's New Year's cards. Don't you think Jiiji and Baaba would be thrilled to see you wearing the family kimono, all grown up? And your cousins overseas? After all, you liked those photos the Hazeyamas got up on Facebook! It's just the once and the pictures will last a lifetime. How about I hire that same photographer?"_

So she'd agreed. Really, it's easier just to go along with it when her mother has already made up her mind. Besides, she likes shrines- the peaceful hush and reverence of the space, almost as if she can hear the trees and pebbles breathing. And while her mother had worried over the choice of location, the photographer had promised that they could get lots of good photos if they arrived early enough to beat the tourists.

So here she is, still yawning and trembling a little from the cold in her finery, waiting outside Harajuku station.

And she knows she's still sleepy, but she could have sworn she saw something with tentacles pass to the side earlier. And a giant bird that she's positive wasn't cosplay.

It doesn't alarm her exactly- this close to the shrine, there must be spirits. At least- that's what she thinks she's always sensed and yet not been able to see properly.

She glances down at her phone when a notification pops up.

_LINE (Kato A.)_

_My apologies! Going to be about ten minutes late! Missed the rapid, so I'm on the local! _

Chihiro sighs and texts back:

_No problem. I'll just grab breakfast at the convenience store._

It's a short walk, and she grabs one of the heated cans of tea to warm her chilled fingers, and she gets two piping hot red bean buns to go with it.

She quickly polishes off the tea and one of the buns, and starts to regret her impulsive decision to buy two. These convenience store buns are huge, not like the frozen ones from the supermarket- she'll feel too stuffed if she finishes both now. She can always keep it for later though- a few seconds in the microwave will revive it, although it wouldn't be quite as fluffily delicious.

_LINE (Kato A.)_

_Here now! Apologies again for the delay! I'll be waiting for you at the chozuya (wash basin place)._

Chihiro immediately hurries to the shrine through the grand torii gate, the pebbles crunching under her zori sandals, the hush of the forest around her. That must be her up ahead-

She slides unexpectedly and squeals with alarm when her restricted legs can't take a proper step to compensate.

But there's suddenly a woman catching her arm with surprising strength, hauling her upright. "...Still such a klutz!" the stranger admonishes, but her lips are twitching with amusement.

Chihiro flashes her grateful smile and bows once she's standing steady again. "Oh, thank you! I should walk more slowly in _zori_, I know!"

And then she blinks, perplexed- she recognizes this woman, but for the life of her, she can't remember from where. She must be an performer in some kind of troupe- she's wearing an old fashioned costume, and her dark brown hair is long and gloriously thick.

The stranger seems just as perplexed, her eyes wide as she takes a surprised step back. "You can _see_ me?" She glances at the gate and then the brightening sky and shifts her head from side to side, watching the way Chihiro's eyes track her movements. "...Of course you can. Did that Haku give you an _omamori _charm_?_"

Chihiro tilts her head, still desperately searching her memory- maybe she's a teacher from kindergarten or elementary school? "Who? ...I'm sorry, but... I feel like we've met before?" Chihiro ventures.

The woman smiles although she also looks like she's about to cry. "...That's right. A few years ago. I told you I'd make it to the city one day. I never thought you'd be here too."

She glances down the path and Chihiro follows her gaze- she can just glimpse cars streaming past on the busy road by the entrance. Suddenly remembering her manners, she hastily offers her the only thing on hand, holding out the plastic bag with both hands, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"It's not much of a thank you for saving me from falling, but please take it. It's still warm, I think."

The woman hesitates, seemingly astounded. "...You offer this to me freely?" She huffs a laugh and regards her affectionately. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Chihiro smiles, still confused. She can almost remember, the memory like a word half-formed. A smell like herbal bath salts. Like old futons and tatami. This woman shouting at somebody, her hand imperiously placed on her hip, and then aiming a conspirator's smile at her.

How? _Where? _

But the woman is accepting the bag in both hands, as if taking up something much more precious than a simple bun. She smiles.

"Thank you. I'll put this to good use. And in return- my name –-my real name- is Chikurin. But you called me Rin, and you can still, if you'd prefer." She reaches out and grips Chihiro's hands in hers. "I will see you again soon, if that's all right, to tell you that story? When we're not both in a hurry?"

Chihiro smiles and nods. "I'd like that." She doesn't understand why, but she means it.

Rin smiles and jerks her chin towards the brightening sky. "I need to go. Do try to _be careful,_ now."

Chihiro grins and nods, and then they both hurry on their way.

It's not until she's half asleep on the train home, hours later, that she realizes she never got her email or phone number. And yet she's sure this Rin will find her again, somehow.

⁂

She starts wearing the purple hair tie every day again.

Instead of feeling unaccountably sad, like she's lost something important, she's starting to feel hopeful, even if she doesn't recognize anything else she glimpses.

⁂

She's walking home from the bus stop after her shift, earphones in, when a boy steps right in front of her with a grin, almost bouncing with excitement.

"Chihiro! Rin said you could see her! You can see me now too, right?"

She pulls out her earphones and nods dumbly, eyes wide. He's looks like a normal boy except that he's bald and wearing a shimmery red sweater.

And then she realizes there's no shadow under his feet in the light from the streetlamps, and her heart skips a beat.

"...You know me?"

He puffs up with pride. "Of course! We're friends! I helped make your _omamori _charm!"

"Omamori?" Her eyes widen when she realizes his sweater has the same gleam as her hair tie, and her hand automatically reaches up to touch it as he nods confirmation.

"And I'm even better at knitting now- see?" he says proudly, pulling at his sweater to show her. "Auntie Zeniba designed the pattern so it would say my name, and I knit every stitch myself!"

So his name is Bou. She remembers meeting this sense of strident, bumbling independence, and she smiles. "It's very nice. It must have been hard to put in the white stitches to make the kanji like that so exactly. You must have practiced a lot."

Bou beams. "I sometimes had to take out rows if I made a mistake. But I was persistent until it came out right. Auntie Zeniba says I've grown up a lot! And I walked here all by myself to deliver your present- Rin had to work tonight, so she gave me a bite of your bun so I could find you and says she trusts me to do it right." He puffs out his chest, arms held to the sides, and suddenly Chihiro has a flash of him as a giant baby.

Oh, but he's grown up. She has too, she supposes, but it's not the same.

"That's a big responsibility. But you really walked all the way here from Tokyo?"

"No, silly, the train station. I made Baaba get me tickets."

"Nakaoka?" That's still far. She actually just got off the bus from Nakaoka station.

He doubles over with laughter. "Not _that_ train station! Ours!"

And then suddenly she inhales as she remembers. "...The red one. With the clock tower and all the Dousojin statues."

"That's the one. It's nice that you live near it, but we tried visiting you before and you couldn't seem to see any of us. Haku said it would be best to wait until you were on another threshold to try again."

Her heart leaps. That name again. "...Haku?"

Bou gives her a knowing smirk before he pauses and his eyes widen. "You really don't remember at all, do you?" He reaches out and pats her hand sympathetically. "That's all right. It's in your head somewhere. Might jog your memory easier if you come visit. Which reminds me!"

He digs in his pockets and then brandishes another gleaming knit strand, even darker red than his sweater. He thrusts it out with both hands.

"For your Coming of Age. We _all_ made the bracelet, together. Haku, Rin and Kamaji helped too, although No Face did most the spinning. Make sure you wear it when you come- it'll guide and protect you."

She accepts it with a bow and Bou's chest puffs with obvious self-satisfaction over completing his mission. But he glances around eagerly, searching.

"I have a bit of time before I have to go catch the train. Think we could play for a little while?"

Chihiro slides the bracelet over her wrist as she considers. It's already dark out, but it's not actually that late, and the local park is always well lit. Besides, she's with an old friend. "I ate at work, so why not?"

⁂

She makes rice balls for her outing with her own hands, like she's done a hundred times. But she shapes them with special care- somehow she's sure it won't be just her eating these today.

⁂

Bou was right- the station is near, and she finds it unerringly, feeling almost a tugging in the bracelet on her wrist.

She walks past a familiar collection of little stone hokura, and into a forest. Past the Dousojin, and into the station.

There are things she couldn't sense before that she sees now- the shadows of spirits, waiting to board, filing down the stairs on either side of the door she'd come in.

Bou said that as a human in broad daylight, she could simply walk instead of needing to board the train as spirits do, so she simply passes through the station.

She emerges into a beautiful valley, green and lush, with more Dousojin statues guarding cobblestone paths. And she follows the growing sense of recognition in her, crossing an old riverbed before reaching a set of weathered stone stairs.

When she looks up, there's a young man waiting at the top of the stairs, holding a bouquet of flowers. He smiles wide and calls her name joyfully, his green eyes bright; his whole body taut with anticipation.

_Haku._

Feelings well up in her like a spring, like the tears spilling out of her eyes, and with them come all the memories.

Oh, she would know him anywhere.


End file.
